BARE BONES

no.646

Our Bare Bones Crossword is unique because you have to complete the grid – numbers and squares – as well. We have inserted four black squares and four clue numbers to get you going. The crossword has a four-way symmetry: both top and bottom and left and right match, so you can fill in 12 more squares straight away. There is a prize of a Collins Pocket Thesaurus. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No.646, The Irish Mail on Sunday, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Entries must arrive by Friday (photocopies not accepted). The winner of Bare Bones No.645 is Lucy Martin, St Margaret’s Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.

Across

7 Personal vehicle has transformed top jailer 8 Weapon is back, returned with foreign letter 11 Strike is a success 12 Knock on the left in mutual understanding 13 Your niece is hiding a vase 14 Completely bungled a colour, by the sound of it 15 Be acquainted with negative report 20 Cairo concerned about a fabled creature 21 Worker joining a group of detectives – that’s soothing 22 Couple not getting beginning in tune 23 A score is recalculated and rough 24 Each getting a bit of something

Down

1 He’s quick to respond to a nuclear generator (Two words) 2 Island takes time to be sharply delineated 3 Reaching conclusion, ready to complain 4 Evidence of strength of spirit 5 Parking location outside produces resentment 6 Give striker back in chance for revenge (Two words) 9 The sound of conversation can be filling 10 Warp Ten, travelling around city 16 Clergyman about to put home first 17 Provide guidance for a farmyard animal 18 Fight for what’s left 19 Notice party has to improvise (Two words, hyphenated)